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Description: | PRN 52864
An early medieval site east of the churchyard was first recognised in 1978 by fieldwalking. 40 sherds of pagan Anglo-Saxon pottery were found. {1}
Excavations in June 1980 revealed the periphery of an Anglo-Saxon and medieval settlement. Evidence for Anglo-Saxon occupation was provided by sixth to twelfth century pottery. One sunken hut, associated with ninth century pottery, and a series of drainage gullies and fences were located. The most important feature on the site was the remains of an iron smelting furnace, probably Anglo-Saxon in date. {2}{3}
In 1999 an evaluation on land off Church Lane found evidence for continuous Anglo-Saxon settlement from the fifth to tenth centuries although the full extent and nature of this occupation remains unclear. This evidence lay in the north of the investigated area, about 30m south of the 1980 excavations. Refuse pits made up the majority of the features, there were also pits and post holes with associated pottery and daub suggesting nearby buildings but there was no conclusive evidence for buildings within the trenches. Environmental evidence from the Anglo-Saxon features included charred cereal grains, remains of pulses, cattle, sheep and roe deer bones. These derive from domestic rubbish. There was also a small quantity of slag and hammerscale recovered, suggesting light industrial activity in the area. A group of four curvilinear ditches was identified in trench 9 and these ditches were interpreted as defining the southerly extent of occupation in this part of the site. Within trench 10 at the northernmost end of the site there was a tentative interpretation of two features as a possible sunken featured structure, a grubenhaus. {5}{6}
During an extended watching brief during development on the site further evidence for Anglo-Saxon activity was recorded, particularly further evidence for metal-working with hammerscale and slag present. There were other linear features recorded during the watching brief but there was no indication of their likely function. {7}{8}
A watching brief was undertaken during groundworks at Church Lane, prior to development. Ditches and pits which may be tentatively dated to the Saxon period were uncovered. Only one of the features contained a sherd of Anglo-Saxon pottery, but all the features were under a layer, which appeared to separate the medieval features from the Anglo-Saxon features. {10} {11} | Subjects: | General Archaeology Metalwork | Temporal: | 410 - 1000 | Source: | Lincolnshire County Council | Identifier: | http://www.lincstothepast.com/Records/Re... | Go to resource |
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